A. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to a sticker collection album; and, more specifically, to a sticker collection album that includes an entertaining feature including disguised or camouflaged areas for puzzles or stickers that can only be viewed through the use of a decoder or viewer, and further including a checklist that records stickers collected and stickers still to be collected.
B. Description of the Background Art
A popular hobby with children is collecting theme stickers and mounting them in an album. Children who have seen a cartoon or movie or who have favorite toys enjoy collecting stickers bearing illustrations of their favorite cartoon or movie characters or toys. These stickers are mounted in albums which the child keeps and periodically examines.
It has been discovered that the present product provides the following entertaining features: purchasing packets of stickers which upon opening contain the surprise element of finding randomly assorted numbered stickers for a specific album, matching and mounting the numbered stickers to the corresponding numbered rectangular blank spaces within the album, trading excess duplicate stickers with other collectors in order to complete the albums, and finally reading the story line printed under each illustrated sticker throughout the album.
When each collection is completed these albums provide a full color illustrated story book. The albums generally accommodate 200 to 240 stickers per collection. It has been discovered however that the average number of stickers collected in each album is approximately sixty. Once these sixty stickers have been collected the child loses interest in the album and no longer attempts to complete the collection. In addition, albums have not provided a child with a removable check list so that his trading activities can be conducted away from where he stores his album.
There are albums available with words printed in the albums beneath locations for stickers. The words tell a story and each sticker bears an illustration that is part of the story. Each sticker is secured over the proper location in the album. The proper location is typically identified by a number adjacent the location. This number corresponds to an identical number on the sticker that is to be secured on that location. As a child collects and secures stickers in the album, the story comes to life in full color and an attractive story book is created.
These albums provide the entertaining feature of a full color story book once all stickers have been collected. It has been discovered, however, that once all stickers have been collected and secured in the album, the child soon loses interest in the toy. It has also been learned that a child who owns an album does not have any means included with the album for keeping a record of which stickers have been collected and which stickers still have to be obtained.
There are also books available that include line drawings printed in a first color on pages of the books and patterns printed in a second color over the line drawings. A sheet of cellophane tinted substantially the same color as the second color is provided with the book. By placing the sheet of cellophane over the patterns, the line drawings can be seen. In these books no stickers are provided or even contemplated.
It is desirable to provide an album that provides additional entertainment to that provided by available albums and provides a challenge and additional play value to the child. A sticker album that allows a child a "sneak peek" at stickers not yet collected creating anticipation of obtaining stickers not yet collected, and providing the child with access to the image of stickers not yet collected is also desirable. A device allowing the child to record what stickers have been collected is another desirable feature.